New restaurants: just opened, coming soon and not so soon

By Martha Cheng

Published: 2013.07.08 11:07 AM

Official opening day at Brug Bakery

Just opened:

Sushi Yuzu in Koolina, across from Monkeypod Kitchen. Yuzu’s new location focuses on sushi rather than the fresh udon featured at its original location in Ala Moana Hotel. Also unique to this menu: housemade tofu and mango snow ice. 92-1047 Olani St., Suite 1-101, 678-1155

The Signature Prime Steak and Seafood opened about a month ago on the 36th floor of Ala Moana Hotel, the former location of Aaron’s. You’ll find a classic steakhouse menu with appetizers such as steak tartare, lobster bisque and wedge salads, and steak options such as filet mignon, rib eye and porterhouse. On the seafood side: Maine lobster and Alaskan King crab legs. It’s all brought to you by the restaurateur Peter Kim, whose restaurants include Liliha Bakery, Yummy Korean BBQ and Steak & Fish Co. in the Ala Moana Center food court. Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Dr., 949-3636, signatureprimesteak.com

Taking the place of St. Germain in Shirokiya, Brug Bakery opened on July 3 to long lines. It's advertised as a German bakery by way of Hokkaido, but you won't find the coarse, dense breads (i.e. volkornbrot) prevalent in Germany. Instead, Brug offers light rye loaves, an pan, doughnuts, breads stuffed with cheese and more. Inside Shirokiya at Ala Moana Center, 973-9190

Skybar Waikiki on the 19th floor of the Waikiki Business Plaza will open spring 2014. Lance Kosaka, previously the chef at Cafe Julia, is developing the menu.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Waikiki will bring Hawaii’s first Dean & Deluca in 2014, and, in early 2016, BLT Market (of the same restaurant group as BLT Steak), which advertises a more seasonal-driven menu. Also opening at The Ritz: Sushi Sho, whose chef, Keiji Nakazawa, may not be well known in the U.S., but has developed a cult following in Japan for his attention to details in fish and rice, pairing rice of varying temperatures and seasoning to each fish. Read more about Sushi Sho here. (Interestingly, the blog post mentions Nakazawa uninterested opening new branches of Sushi Sho.)

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From five-star restaurants to hidden holes-in-the-wall, Biting Commentary will let you know what’s hot and what’s not. Find out the latest restaurant news—who’s opening, who’s closing, which chef is moving on, where the great special dinners are. Discover the best menu items, fabulous wines, stunning cocktails and hand-crafted beers.

Born and raised on O‘ahu, Food & Dining editor Catherine Toth Fox worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for more than 10 years and has freelanced—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications since 1997. She earned her master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1999, with a focus on magazine writing and publishing. And she received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, graduating with distinction in 1996.